During the summer of 2015, my dad, informally known as PaulyC38@aol.com, co-signed documents that would allow me to finance my first Jeep for just $225 a month. She was a 2012 Jeep Liberty, one previous owner, and about 20k miles. At the time, this was a pretty good deal, as my 23 year old self could actually afford that payment, and I was excited to know I’d own a car at the end of a 6 year loan. My loyal certified pre-owned 2012 Jeep Liberty served me well for almost an entire decade, no accidents, no breakdowns. My Jeep was my pride and joy. I paid her off in 2021 and drove her proudly until the afternoon of July 11, 2023. On that random Tuesday, I somehow worked up enough courage to walk into a car dealership, alone, as a female, for the first time ever. I thought I’d try my luck at a few local spots and see what kind of numbers they’d throw at me to be able to drive a brand new car for the first time in my life. I wasn’t in a rush, but my car definitely started showing her 100k+ mileage over the last few years. I’d put a good chunk of money into her, and her mechanical problems seemed like they weren’t going to just go away, so to keep her on the road I’d have to be willing to spend. Being that I’d had my eye on a new Jeep Grand Cherokee L since I first saw one parallel parked at a local restarunt near where I work, the timing seemed right. This car stopped me dead in my tracks. My jaw started to tingle. My eyes were so wide I don’t think I blinked for a solid minute and a half. I loved my current car, but I knew she had limited time. I knew exactly what kind of car I was going to wait for, and once I was in a stable enough position to go out and make it happen, I would. I told myself one day I will own this car. Well, one day would come sooner than I expected.

We had a great decade together. I wish I had the courage to take her on more adventures in her younger milage years. Fast forward to 2023, Libs starts showing her age so I decided to see what the process would be like to get into a newer vehicle. I knew I would walk into a dealership with the intention of leaving with the Grand Cherokee L or nothing. If the price was too high for me, I’d happily walk away and continue trying my day to day luck with Libs. I walked into the first dealership only to walk away disappointed… for many reasons. The main reason being, he didn’t offer me an L model, this salesman quoted me a huge sum of money per month for the lower-level Jeep model. To be honest, I loved the Jeep Cherokee Altitude model too, and it was definitely more affordable for me, but I walked away from this dealership knowing that walking away was the right move. I drove to one more local dealership after that and was met with a young, energetic, down to earth dude who loved my 2012 Libs! His greeting was something along the lines of “Yo I love your car!!!!” And I said in response, “Well it’s your lucky day because I’m thinking about selling it if the price is right!” And it went from there. I was shown the Jeep Altitude again, and while I did love it, the second row captain seats wouldn’t suit my puppy’s fancy, as he loves to stretch out all comfy on the bench-style backseats that he’s used to. Whether or not my dog would like the car was the ultimate deal breaker for me! (My dog runs most aspects of my life). The car dude put me in a Grand Cherokee L, all beige leather interior, every creature comfort you can imagine, panoramic sunroof, the whole 9 and then 1 more. This car was the most gorgeous vehicle I’ve ever driven in my whole life. After several hours of working the numbers, it was mine. I drove home like Queen Elizabeth. This car drives like a hover craft, and smells like the newest most perfectly well-designed machine. It was everything I thought it would be and more.

That night I left the dealership at around 9:30 pm. I was exhausted and hungry so I stopped at a hibachi restaurant on the way home, then drove to my condo, parked for the night, and barley slept at all knowing I’d get to drive this insanely beautiful space car to work in the morning. The next 2 days were so enjoyable driving around. I felt that I worked towards this goal for so many years. I’d been manifesting this for so long, working night hours, weekend hours. I hustled as much as I could and here was my reward. A physical representation of all my hard work. The following Friday after getting my new car, was quiet and uneventful. I went into work, then came home to start dinner for my fiancé, who would be arriving home shortly after me. That night we ran out to grab something from a local grocery store after dinner, somewhere in-between 9:30 and 10:00 pm. We came home around 10:15-10:30, I stared at my car for a quick few seconds, still in awe, and then I proceeded to follow my love inside for the night.

The next morning, Saturday July 15, 2023, day 3 of me having this beautiful new car, I came outside to leave for work to find my back two tires slashed. When I say slashed, I mean slashed. I’m talking stabbed 7 times. Flattened, shredded, destroyed. So naturally, in a state of disbelief and shock, I asked my fiancé what I should do, and he said “Well, you should probably call the cops..” I called and about 10 minutes later one cop showed up. He looked at the tires and asked me if I had any idea who did it. This still annoys me when I think about it. These cops ask that question knowing that unless there is clear-as-day video evidence of the physical crime being committed by the identifiable suspect, there is nothing they can do to help you. And yet they still ask this question!!! WHY?! I responded to the rhetorical question with a confident “Yes.” and pointed out my neighbor’s beat up, white BMW parked right across from my un-drivable new car. After a few days of back and fourth with the cop, the head of security in my complex, and some other neighbors who happen to have doorcams facing the shared parking lot, I was sure I had solid enough evidence to easily convict this angry, crazy person. I had her on the neighbors ring door cameras going back and fourth 4 times on the night of the vandalism. I had the 2 neighbors with the door cams as physical witnesses to her walking back and fourth carrying what looks to be a huge kitchen knife. I also thought I had her with a clear motive. A few months leading up to this incident, I called my HOA and reported her for not picking up after her dog. She’d just open her door, the dog would run out, do it’s business, and then run back in the house. No one would ever come out to clean up after it, the dog poop would just sit on the main shared walkway, or right at the bottom of my stairs. Myself and my neighbors would be subjected to stepping in it constantly. It got to be too much after 2 years so finally I took one for the team and I reported it. Motive acquired, retaliation eminent.

Before this all started, my tire-slashing neighbor did make it known how much she does not like me. The dirty looks, the muttering mean things to me under her breath when we’d pass each other outside, the general stand-offish vibe she’d give whenever I saw her. A dark, dirty little part of me enjoyed knowing this old, bitter women disliked me so much because I knew the root reason why. Not only do I own a bigger, nicer condo than her at half her age, I’m successful, happy, attractive.. I’m everything she lacks and she can’t stand it. So now to add gasoline to the hate fire, I also have a brand new 60 thousand dollar Jeep that’s just sitting in the dark parking lot as she’s pulling in from a double shift at our local Dollar General store. She had enough of me, she let her impulse take over and that was that. Every interaction thus far had been so weird and random so I never thought she’d escalate it the way she has. I figured she’d just hate me from afar and talk shit about me like a normal person. I figured way wrong apparently. Turns out this neighbor has a rap sheet half a mile long. Dangerous, unpredictable, angry, and nothing to lose.

This brings me to the main issue, now being torn between taking matters into my own hands, or doing absolutely nothing until the neighbor either slips up and gets herself in trouble somehow, or until she tries coming at me again and I’m able to catch her on camera, actually committing a crime. Since this person happens to live right next to me, it’s hard for me to be comfortable in my home knowing there’s someone within yelling distance who notably hates me and has no issues with destroying my property. If I get her back, what level will she escalate things to next time? Could she have the violence and hatred in her heart to actually hurt me physically? I thought I’d have some leverage if I called the cops. I have nothing. It sucks that the people trained to ‘Serve and Protect’ have to follow such black and white regulations when it comes to certain aspects of the legal system. If every sign points to “Carmen in the parking lot with a kitchen knife” and there are absolutely zero other suspects… where is the debate? Why is justice so unattainable unless the suspect either admits the crime or poses for a doorcam? It’s like the whole –pics or it didn’t happen– philosophy… but real life and real crimes… it’s idiotic!!

Needless to say, all this drama, worry, and money spent on security cameras and parking monitors has been exhausting. I’m not the type of person who enjoys watching over their shoulder all the time, and since I have no idea what this woman is actually capable of getting away with, I suppose my only option for the time being is to remain silent and classy, the way my parents raised me. And at the end of the day, the criminals of the world will never fully prevail because they can never become anyone other than who they choose to be. I wake up everyday and try my best to be a good person. To be kind, understanding, intuitive and selfless. Tire slasher wakes up angry and thinking of new ways to hurt people. No amount of money or material items are going to change that. No one can dim your light unless you let them, and even if it seems like you’re just laying down and letting a bully get away with something so terribly wrong, that isn’t the case entirely. I know I am more mentally and emotionally mature than this person, I’ve done the inner work, practiced meditation, sucked so much poison out of my life by myself that I believe I can get myself thru any situation. Even in a mess of hatred, you can find the strength and resilience you’ve been building up inside for so many years without even being fully conscious of it at the time.

This whole week has been a whirlwind of emotions, good and bad. But the day I went to pick up my car from the auto shop, got in, and let everything sink into my brain as I was driving to work, I began to reflect. My 2012 Libs popped into my head, I miss her. My dad who has helped me each step of the way with this and everything else in my life popped into my head. My fiancé popped in, I started to see my future play out in front of me and out of the blue, tears started flowing uncontrollably. These tears didn’t feel like sad tears though, these were happy tears. I felt so overwhelmed with gratitude that I thought my chest was going to explode. I cried until I was about 1 minute from work, then pulled it together. It was cleansing, and therapeutic. I needed that release. I went into the day with a feeling of lightness that had been absent in me since Saturday morning when I woke up to see my dream car slashed to bits. I felt in my chest that no matter what material thing someone tries to strip me of, no one can ever change who I am. I’m a light of a human and I love my life, ups, downs and in-betweens. I’m learning to look hard for the silver lining in shitty situations. I’m learning not to get mad or get even, but to continue living my best life everyday. My priority is to be happy, surround myself with others who make me happy, be good and enjoy the ride. The rest will fall into place effortlessly if you trust the process. After all, you are the master of your reality… no one else. Choose happiness, it’s a much prettier enjoyable ride, trust me.